A Select Bibliography of recommended texts for Torah and Jewish studies for Christians

The Torah: A Modern Commentary (Revised Edition), edited by W. Gunther Plaut, serves as the definitive text for Progressive Judaism. Originally released in 1981, the 2005 revision provides a comprehensive and accessible study tool that seamlessly integrates modern historical scholarship with traditional rabbinic insights, classical midrash, and contemporary values.

This edition addresses several structural limitations of the original version by reorganizing the text into weekly Torah portions (parashiyot) and adopting a gender-sensitive Jewish Publication Society (JPS) translation that uses gender-neutral language for God. It also features a fresh, modern translation of Genesis and the haftarot by Rabbi Chaim Stern.

Each section now includes aliyah markers, clearly identified haftarah readings, and a thorough index. The commentary layout distinguishes between the peshat (the literal, historical-critical meaning) and the derash (interpretive insights from classical Rabbinic and Hasidic traditions).

Side-by-side Hebrew and English texts paired with contemporary, readable translations make the text accessible for modern lay readers. is the definitive liberal, progressive Torah commentary for English-speaking Jews and Christians. The Torah: A Modern Commentary (Revised Edition) blends academic biblical scholarship with traditional Midrash, making it a cornerstone resource for study.

The Jewish Study Bible (2nd ed.), edited by Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, is widely recognized as a premier one-volume resource. By pairing the contemporary Jewish Publication Society TANAKH translation with sophisticated academic commentary and insightful essays, it brings authoritative Jewish scholarship to a broad audience.

The verse-by-verse notes masterfully blend modern critical methods with traditional Jewish exegesis, including midrash, medieval commentary and rabbinic tradition. This updated second edition features more than 40 new or revised essays exploring Jewish interpretation, biblical history, worship, and the text’s lasting influence.

Accessible to readers without Hebrew language skills, this well-organized volume offers unmatched depth for students, clergy, and anyone seeking a Jewish perspective on the Hebrew Bible.

The Torah: A Women’s Commentary brings a unique and long overdue perspective. This work “collects and showcases the teachings of Jewish women in the first comprehensive commentary on the Torah written entirely by women.” It received the National Jewish Book Award’s 2008 Everett Family Foundation Jewish Book of the Year award.

The Torah: A Women’s Commentary work offers profound insight and inspiration for all students of Torah, regardless of gender or religious background.

Contributors include more than a hundred distinguished women academics, women rabbis, women cantors, women educators, and women poets. These women represent the full spectrum of the Jewish community: in addition to Reform, [it includes] Conservative, Orthodox, and Reconstructionist scholars as well as unaffiliated and secular scholars.

Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary, published by the Jewish Publication Society, stands as the premier one-volume commentary for Conservative Judaism. It is widely acclaimed for its clear dual-commentary format, contemporary NJPS translation, and integration of modern, egalitarian, and academic insights.

Each page features two layers of interpretation: the p’shat (plain meaning) explores historical context, while the d’rash (homiletical meaning), edited by Rabbi Harold Kushner, offers deep spiritual and psychological wisdom.

The volume also includes Haftarot, scholarly essays on major themes, liturgical blessings, color maps, a glossary, and a biblical timeline.

Robert Alter’s translation and commentary on The Five Books of Moses is a literary achievement. By preserving original structural features and syntax, Alter focuses on the artistry of the narrative. Commentary Alter’s footnotes analyze narrative techniques and motifs, allowing the ancient Hebrew storytelling to shine without theological moralizing.

Everett Fox’s translation in The Schocken Bible: Volume 1 offers a groundbreaking, auditory-focused approach to the Torah. By mimicking the rhetorical rhythms, poetic force, and wordplay of the original Hebrew, Fox provides a deeply immersive experience that surpasses traditional English versions. Intentionally shaped for reading aloud, this translation stays remarkably faithful to the acoustic qualities, puns, and structural repetitions of the ancient text.

An extensive Commentary. Rather than overwhelming the text with theological doctrine, Fox’s annotations and introductions draw heavily on the Jewish tradition of midrash (exegesis). His notes focus on literary patterns and historical context, benefiting both casual readers and scholars alike. The formatting emphasizes the poetic nature of the scripture; by breaking the text into rhythmic lines rather than dense paragraphs, offering a visual experience reminiscent of Robert Alter’s translations. Readers praise how this approach encourages a slower, more attentive engagement with the words. It breathes new life into familiar passages, allowing readers to appreciate the Hebrew roots and subtle nuances in meaning. Even non-Hebrew speakers can discover the puns and thematic echoes woven throughout the text.

Richard Elliott Friedman’s Commentary on the Torah offers a cohesive, scholarly translation and analysis that bridges the gap between traditional faith and modern academic study. By integrating archaeological evidence, linguistic insights, and literary theory, this single-author work provides an accessible, unified alternative to multi-volume traditional anthologies.

The book features side-by-side Hebrew and English text, allowing readers to engage directly with the original language while exploring Friedman’s influential theories on the Documentary Hypothesis and the historical development of the biblical narrative.

The Haftarah Commentary by W. Gunther Plaut and Chaim Stern stands as a cornerstone of liberal Jewish scholarship. It offers a reverent, progressive perspective on the Prophets, blending inspiring insights and modern translations with practical tools for both congregational and personal study.

The late Rabbi Chaim Stern’s translations of the Haftarot are celebrated for their elegance and contemporary readability, while W. Gunther Plaut’s profound commentary masterfully bridges classical rabbinic thought with modern philosophy to engage today’s readers.

This comprehensive 872-page volume features the complete Hebrew text with cantillation, insightful essays for each biblical book, detailed glossaries, and meaningful alternatives to traditional readings. It is an essential resource for Reform communities and individuals seeking a modern, inspirational framework for understanding the Prophets. Readers looking for a strictly Orthodox or traditional approach, however, may find the Etz Hayim commentary more aligned with their needs.

The Hebrew-English Tanakh: Traditional Hebrew Text and the New JPS Translation, 2nd Edition is widely acclaimed as an exceptional bilingual resource. It features the authoritative Masoretic Leningrad Codex alongside the modern New JPS Translation (NJPS) on facing pages, making it the premier choice for scholars, students, and laypeople who need a reliable side-by-side text.

The Hebrew typography is large, clear, and elegantly printed, utilizing custom-designed vowels and cantillation marks (te’amim) for an effortless reading experience. In contrast to archaic translations, the NJPS provides clear, contemporary English that prioritizes meaning and natural flow without sacrificing faithfulness to the original.

This volume remains the definitive standard for anyone seeking to engage deeply with the Hebrew scriptures.

The Jewish Annotated New Testament (NRSV/NRSVue), edited by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler, stands as a landmark academic study Bible. It situates the New Testament within its original first-century Jewish environment through verse-by-verse commentary and topical essays from esteemed Jewish scholars. By grounding the texts—particularly the Gospels and Paul’s epistles—in Second Temple Judaism, the annotations reveal these writings as extensions of Jewish life, debate, and textuality.

The commentary directly addresses historical anti-Judaism and supersessionism, providing a necessary framework to prevent the misinterpretation of biblical passages as anti-Semitic caricatures. Throughout the volume, notes frequently cross-reference the New Testament with the Hebrew Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Josephus, Philo, and rabbinic traditions.

Highly recommended for pastors, rabbis, students, and lay readers alike, this work bridges a historical divide, helping Christians understand their scriptures’ Jewish foundations while offering Jews an objective lens through which to engage a culturally significant text.